As scientists and other professionals use discoveries in genetics to revolutionise the world, careers in genetics and genomics are booming, given the advances in the field of personalised medicine, DNA sequencing technologies and commercial applications of genetics research.
‘Genomics’ stands for the study of whole genomes. While ‘genes’ are instructions encoded in molecules called DNA in a cell, ‘Genomics’ is the study of all genes of an organism and or altered genes in each set of conditions (diseased versus healthy). It also encompasses the functional relevance of this alteration. Genomics relies on Next-generation Sequencing (NGS) technology. Advances in NGS technologies led to the birth of an era of microbiome studies. The human microbiome, animal microbiome, and soil microbiome are promising cures to diseases like Diabetes, improving livestock health, and promoting sustainable agriculture by suggesting soil improvement/preservation measures.
The advancement in genomics continues to happen on the technology as well as the application front. It can be applied to diseases like cancer, sickle cell anaemia, thalassaemia, or infectious disease epidemiology such as SARS COV-2. Genomics led to the identification of variants, especially of variants of concern (VOC) during the pandemic and continues to help clinicians and scientists design better vaccines. Genomics also fostered ‘Precision medicine.’ Herein, personalised therapy is offered to a patient based on his/her genome.
